Death toll rises to 31 in flood-hit Nigeria's Kano State: gov't

Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-17 23:23:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan
Video PlayerClose

ABUJA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Death toll has so far reached 31 in Nigeria's flood-hit northwestern state of Kano, the government said on Monday.

At least 10,000 houses have been partially or completely destroyed in 15 local areas where the recent flood had wreaked havoc in the state, according to government data.

Kano, the commercial and investment hub of northern Nigeria, has been hit by heavy floods since Aug. 27.

Head of the Kano State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency Ali Bashir told reporters that at least 35,000 farmers were also affected by the disaster in eight areas of the state.

Most of their farmlands were submerged by water while others were completely washed away by the flood, Bashir said.

The Kano State chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria has also said its members lost over 5,000 hectares of rice farms to the flood.

Late August, Nigeria's Hydrological Services Agency issued a red alert on flooding in seven states across Nigeria, citing increasingly high river levels.

Both the hydrological service agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had issued alert to Kano that 20 out of its 44 local government areas will be affected by flooding.

At least three major dams have started releasing water as high flow from the upper catchment of the Niger basin continues to move downstream to Nigeria.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011105091374745171